Coil friction-clutch.



No. 801,726. PATENTED 0CT.10,1905. W. H. LINDSAY & H. R. COUPER.

COIL PRICTION CLUTCH.

APPLIUATION FILED AUG. 26, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.I

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATENTED OCT. l0, 1905.

W H LINDSAY & H R COUPER COIL FRICTION CLUTCH.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG 2s 1904 PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM HENRY LINDSAY AND HADEN RICHARDSON COUPER', OF JOHN- STONE, SCOTLAND.

COIL FRlCTlON-CLUTCH.

No. soif/2e4 Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 10, 1905.

Application led August 26, 1904. Serial No. 222,322.

.To NZZ 'wibo/1L it V11ml/ concern.'

sin' and Hanns' RICHARDSON Oonrnn, subjects of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, re-

siding at Johnstone, 1n the county of Renfrew,

Scotland have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coil Friction-Clutches;

a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention consists in a coil frictionclutch in which the coil friction is created by the expansion or opening' out of a split ordivided wheel which is surrounded by the coil. The clutch is specially designed for use in driving' at high speeds. as in automobiles.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents in elevation a clutch constructed and arranged in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section. Fig'. 23 is a transverse section on the line ,r fr, Fig'. l. Fig'. i is an end view, and Fig. a plan, of the split or divided wheel. Fig. 6 is a sectional view, drawn to an enlarged scale, of the coil and part of the split or divided wheel.

Keyed on the driving-shaft a. is a drivingplate Z), which is a cup-shaped shell recessed to take the heads c/ of the coil c, which surrounds the wheel (Z, which is split or divided at fZ and g'rooved at (Z2. The wheel /Z is mounted and keyed on the driven shaft f. The division Z enables the wheel Z to be sprung open with little pressure. The groove (ZL) facilitates this and increases elasticity in the wheel (Z. YIn the wheel Z is a pin f, on which is pivotally mounted a lever g, having'a head or boss M, which is in the nature of an eccentric, as seen more particularly at Fig. The enlarged part of the boss g bears against the face Z3 of the split or division (JZ of the wheel (Z. At the tail of the lever ,f/ is a boss g/i, into which is screwed a set-pin Z1. The coil c has two heads c, which lit into recesses provided 'for them in the driving-plate Z. The turns of the coil c between the heads c' are bored inside to a slig'htly larger diameter than the turns on which the heads c' are formed. Normally that is to say, when the clutch is out of action-the split wheel IZ rotates within the coil c and driving-plate n To put the clutch into action, the sliding' collar Z is moved along the driven shaft @into Ile 1t known that weJViLLLiM H naar LIND- i contact with the set-pin Zt. Under the pressure exerted on the set-pin ZL by the collar 1f the lever y turns about its pivotf, and the wheel Z is opened out or expanded at (Z and binds against the inner face of the coil c. The

l driving-shaft a is thus made to rotate with and wedo hereby declare the following' to be i the driven shaft c. The binding' action of the coil c is first set up by the outerl turns of the coilwthat is to say, by the turns on which the heads c' are formed. The remaining' turns of the coil are tightened after the said outer turns, and thus the binding action between the wheel /Z and the coil is set up gradually. The collar i is slid along the shaft e by a leverengaging' with the neck i or by any other suitable means.

ln the clutch as adapted for motors or machines in which the clutch is required to go into gear automatically and requires no holding-in gear a helical spring' j is Iitted inside the sliding' collar At one end the springj bears against the collar 'Z and at the other against a collar fixed on the shaft e. The collar Z has axial motion along' the collar Zr. Then the collar Z is slid back-that is to say, away from the coil c--by the action of a pedal or lever, the spring' y' is compressed and allows the sliding' collar i to be withdrawn from acting'. on the set-pin ZzA of the level' f, and the clutch is put out of gear; but on release of the pedal or lever' aforesaid the spring] rebounds and forces the collar Z inward against the setpin Zz, and puts the clutch into gear and exercises suilicient pressure to keep it in gear.

To exclude dust from the shell Z; and other working parts, a cover-plate Z is bolted to the shell.

Thcclutch requires a small range of movement of the collar f' in being' put into and out of gear.

That we claim isl. In a friction-clutch, the combination with shafting', of a pair of clutch members carried thereby, one of said members comprising'a coil composed of a plurality of convolutions encircling' said other member and having its Central convolutions of a greater bore than the end convolutions, and means for throwing' said clutch members into clutch.

2. Ina f1'iction-clutcl1,tl1e combination with shafting', of a pair of clutch members carried thereby, one of said clutch members compris- ICO ing a one-piece resilient split Wheel, and the other of said clutch members comprising a iexible band adapted to peripherally engage said split Wheel when expanded, and means for expanding said split Wheel.

3. In a friction-clutch, the combination With shafting, of a pair of clutch members carried thereby, one of said clutch members comprising a resilient split Wheel, and the other of said clutch members comprising a iiexible band adapted to peripherall y engage said split Wheel when expanded, and means for expanding said split Wheel, comprising a lever pivotally secured to one end of said Wheel, provided With a cam in engagement with the opposite end of said split Wheel and operative in a plane substantially parallel to said shafting, and means for operating said lever.

il. In a friction-clutch, the combination with a driving and a driven shaft, of a disk keyed to one of said shafts, a clutch member keyed to the other of said shafts adjacent said disk comprising a resilient split Wheel, a second clutch member, comprising a coil composed of a plurality of convolutions encircling said split Wheel, and secured at one end to said disk, and means for expanding said Wheel Within said coil.

5. In afriction-clutch, the combination with a driving and a driven shaft, of a disk keyed to one of said shafts, a clutch member keyed to the other of said shafts adjacent said disk comprising a resilient split Wheel, a second clutch member, comprising a coil composed of a plurality ofconvolutions encircling said split Wheel, having its central convolutions of greater bore than the end convolutions, and having one of its ends secured to said disk, and means for expanding' said split Wheel Within said coil.

6. In afriction-clutch, the combination With shafting, of a pair of clutch members carried thereby, one of said clutch members -comprising a one-piece resilient split Wheel and the other of said clutch members comprising a iiexible band adapted to peripherally engage said split Wheel when expanded, means for expanding said split Wheel, comprising a lever pivotally supported on one end of said Wheel and having a cam engaging the other end of said split Wheel and operative in a plane substantially parallel to said shafting, and means for operating said lever. Y

7. In a friction-clutch, thecombinatiolii With a driving and a driven shaft,` of a disk keyed to one of said shafts, a clutch member keyed to the other of said shafts adjacent said disk comprising a resilient split Wheel, a second clutch member, comprising a coil composed of a plurality of convolutions encircling said split Wheel, having its central convolutions of greater bore than the end convolutions, and having one of its ends secured to said disk, and means for expanding said split Wheel Within said coil, comprising a lever pivotally connected to one end of said split Wheel and having a cam-surface engaging the other end of said split Wheel, and means for operating said lever.

8. In a friction-clutch, the combination With shafting, of a pair of clutch members carried thereby, one of said clutch members comprising a resilient split Wheel and the other of said clutch members comprising a coil composed of a plurality of convolutions encircling said split wheel, means for expanding said split Wheel, comprising a lever pivotally supported on one end of said Wheel and having a cam engaging the other end of said split Wheel and operative in a plane substantially parallel to said shafting, and means for operating said lever.

9. In a friction-clutch, the combination with shafting, of a pair of clutch members carried thereby, one of said clutch members comprising a one-piece resilient split Wheel and the other of said clutch members comprising a coil composed of a plurality of convolutions encircling said split Wheel, means for expand ing said split vvheel, comprising a lever'pivot ally supported on one end of said Wheel and having a cam engaging the other end of said split Wheel and operative in a plane substantially parallel to said shai'ting, and means for operating said levery In testimony whereof We aflx our signae tures in presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM HENRY LINDSAY. HABEN RICHARDSON COUPER, V Witnesses:

J No. MCFADZAN, JOHN W. MoUoLB. 

